Forgiveness Mindset for Healing and Freedom – Purity 1400
Purity 1400 07/13/2024 Purity 1400 Audio Podcast
Purity 1400 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of work of art displaying a man seeking the attention, and perhaps the forgiveness of a woman, who is present but looking away, comes to us from yours truly as I captured this unknown painting with my iPhone during a visit to the American Paintings Salon, in the George Walter Smith Art Museum back on December 9th 2023.
Well, It’s Saturday and the topic of forgiveness is on my mind this morning because I recently led two life coaching clients through prayer ministry where they were led to forgive those who have hurt them or caused them offense in the recent past. My clients are seeking spiritual formation, a closer relationship with God, and to adopt a different way of living that will reduce their selfish, fleshly, or destructive tendencies and the negative emotions those tendencies tend to produce and simultaneously increase their peace, contentment, and joy for life.
That’s no small order of course, and after a few positive sessions of life coaching, I decided to call in the “big guns” – God the Father, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit, to help these men to find peace and possibly change in ways that my spiritual advice and instruction would fail to accomplish.
Let’s face it. If I expect these men to have their lives transformed, we have to call on God to help them to resolve the unseen underlying root issues that are preventing their progress. In order to be “freed indeed” and to live in freedom, I felt we needed to clean house by going to the One (The Lord) who could set the captives free and who could really give them a hope and a future.
So in our prayer sessions, my clients confessed of their sins, renounced any involvement with the occult or exposure to false religion, and offered forgiveness to those who have hurt them, which in each case included themselves and God.
Fortunately, both of my clients had been through the Steps to Freedom in Christ before and had done some “forgiveness work” before so they had pretty short lists of the people who had offended or hurt them, but I was a little surprised and disappointed to hear them need to forgive themselves and offer their forgiveness with God for their disappointments with Him.
The freedom in Christ mindset is a “forgiveness” mindset and when we have to forgive ourselves that is not a good sign of growth as it indicates an active narrative of condemnation -they are beating themselves up when they should know that they are forgiven and free. Condemning ourselves is actually rebellion against God because it is simultaneously denying God’s forgiveness and sovereignty. When we condemn ourselves, we are telling God that we aren’t accepting His forgiveness and that we are going to be our judge and not allow ourselves to enjoy His mercy and grace. Condemnation is a sign of spiritual immaturity, or ignorance, and a lack of trust in God.
Similarly, the need to forgive God – who does no wrong – confesses our lack of maturity, understanding, or acceptance of God as sovereign, as somewhere in our hurt and disappointment we blame God for not doing what we wanted Him to do. Being angry at God, is in essence saying that we know better than God or that we are higher than God in our estimation because our “genie in a bottle god” hasn’t arranged time and space to meet our personal needs and desires.
So not surprisingly, there is more work to do with my clients in teaching them about who they are in Christ and who the God they put their faith in really is but I am hopeful that the work of forgiveness – the choices they made to forgive – will be the antidote to their pain and will create the space in their hearts and minds to grow into the men God created them to be.
Forgiveness is a core teaching and discipline for Christians, and I was delighted to encounter a teaching on it in my “Get Used to Different Student Guide” this morning. So I wanted to share it with you today.
The team of authors at the Chosen write about a narrative from the series in season three, where the Apostle Andrew lashes out at Mary Magdalene, who shockingly fell back into sin after meeting Jesus!, and seeks her forgiveness after hearing Jesus’ sermon on the mount. The authors write about how we will all be hurt or will hurt others in this world, and they use the narrative from season three to teach on the importance of forgiveness in healing. The Chosen Team writes:
“… Andrew lashed out, yelled at her, and told her that the chaos and confusion were all her fault.
His words cut Mary deep.
Truth is, following Jesus doesn’t prevent us from inflicting wounds upon each other. But God does offer medicine for those wounds, no matter their source or size. As Jesus was hanging in agony on the cross, he said one of the most astonishing things in all of history:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34 NIV).
Forgive them, Jesus said, even as the murderous men divvied up His clothes. And forgiveness is the antidote for heart wounds. In order to heal, you have to forgive those who wounded you. And you must ask for forgiveness from those you’ve wounded.
But that’s easier said than done, right? We tend to hold on to pain, which turns into a grudge, which turns into bitterness. Yet, when you forgive, the power those wounds hold over you begins to fade. Forgiveness actually frees you from the bondage of bitterness. Likewise, when you seek forgiveness from those you’ve wronged, you open your heart to the work God wants to do inside of you.
Perhaps the hurt that has been inflicted upon you goes deeper than anyone can imagine, and your heart bears scars from years of neglect or abuse. Perhaps you’ve endured so much hurt that it impacts the way you see the world around you. You will likely never forget these things.
So, let’s be really clear: to forgive doesn’t mean to forget, because forgetting isn’t something we’re usually capable of. But forgiveness does accomplish two things. First, it actually acknowledges you’ve been hurt deeply. Second, it prevents your pain from defining you. It diminishes the power that your wounds hold over you.
After he heard the sermon on the mount, Andrew visited Mary Magdalene and asked for her forgiveness. In doing so, he unlocked something incredible, not only in himself, but also in Mary, who said, “This might be the first time someone has said sorry to me.”
You will be hurt. It’s unavoidable. But learning to forgive not only frees you from the power that heart wounds have, it also transforms your heart, making you more like the One you follow.
“Father forgive them, before they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34 NIV).”
Then the chosen team props us to pray.
“Father, you have forgiven my sins through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Help me to forgive others in the same way. And give me the strength to seek forgiveness from those I’ve hurt too.”
(Get Used to Different Student Guide, The Chosen Team: Covington, Bennett, Hershberger, Claypool, Mallerna, Campbell, & Murdock, 2024).
Amen
I love how the chosen Team affirms that forgiveness not only holds the power to heal our wounds but also can play a role in the Lord making us more like Him. Jesus taught us with His words and His life to forgive. He came to set the captives free and to give us peace and having a “forgiveness mindset” will aid us in being healed and to teach us to walk in freedom.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on False Prophets, Teachers.
Ezekiel 13:1-16 (NKJV)
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ “
3 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts.
5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.
6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”
8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace–and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar–
11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.
12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ “
13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.
14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it,
16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord GOD.
Today’s verses are the second of two passages of scripture that fall under the fourth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on False Prophets, Teachers.
4. God warns his people not to listen to the false prophets who say that he will not punish unrepentant sinners.
Today’s verses make it clear that if we feel “that we have gotten a word from the Lord”, we should be discerning, go to God in prayer to ask about it, BEFORE we share it.
We don’t live in a spiritual vacuum after all and unfortunately because Satan’s kingdom of darkness exists, the spirit that whispers into our minds at times will NOT be the Holy Spirit, but demons.
I have a history with a charismatic church that taught about the gifts of the Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and during my time there I saw some amazing things and heard some encouraging words that could be described as prophetic. In my own walk outside of the four walls of the church building, I have experienced the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit and received guidance at various times in my life that were definitely “God breathed”.
However, I have heard MANY “prophetic words” spoken that DID NOT come to pass and I had a sense of things that I thought I could prophetically predict that also didn’t come to pass! And finally, I have also received promptings to “go tell” people certain things, that I resisted, and was relieved that I did because those words would have led them astray.
So, if we believe that the gift of prophecy is still alive and well today, and I believe it is to some extent, God will move us and talk to us at times, then we have to not only have to be aware of the possibility of false prophets out there, we also have to be careful not to be one of them!
Be wise and discerning, in sharing your “word of wisdom” or “word of knowledge”, because the enemy would love to speak a false word to us to share and if our “prophecies” are not fulfilled, we need to recognize that the office of prophet, if it is still a position that is being assigned by God, is not being filled by us.
So beware of false prophets and teachers and start by not being one!
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
MORNING READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 10
“Bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
Solomon says, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). All issues of life commence with the thought life. How important then to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The thoughts and imaginations to be brought into captivity are those which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. God, in the person of the Lord Jesus, must be supreme in the life of the believer. And if He is supreme in one’s life, He must be Master of one’s thoughts as well. For as already observed, thoughts determine the issues of life.
The great example of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience is given in Philippians 2. Here Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death (Phil. 2:8). He did this to bring into captivity the exalted thoughts of sin to the obedience of God. Is it any wonder Paul says, “Let this mind [of Christ] be in you” (Phil. 2:5)?
Teach me, O Lord, to bring all thoughts captive to You.[1]
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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